Ed and Ling: Ghostfacers
by Obsessive Explosion
Summary: Ed and Ling spend the night in a haunted house so they can catch a ghost, but they are surprised by an unexpected visitor. Rated T for some language and mild drug use.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** **:** Happy Halloween! I wanted to celebrate my favorite holiday in an fma themed way... I know the timing doesn't quite work out in canon for Ed, Ling, and Havoc to have met up this way, but I really wanted to write these three characters together, so if you want to treat it as a slight AU, fine by me. in addition, for the purposes of this fic, I've assumed that marijuana exists and is legal in Amestris. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Ed! Listen up!" Ling said enthusiastically. "I have very important news."

Ed stared at Ling in confusion. He'd been eating in his hotel room when he'd heard a knock at the door. He hadn't been expecting anyone at all today, but he certainly never would have anticipated seeing the Xingese prince standing there, looking excited and holding a loaf of bread.

"What...what are you doing here?" Ed asked, brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"I told you!" Ling said. "I have important news."

Ed rubbed his eyes. He hadn't woken up all that long ago, and Ling's unexpected appearance and blatant enthusiasm was a lot to process. "Is it...is it about the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked.

"No, no, nothing like that," Ling said impatiently, waving his hands. "This is something entirely unrelated."

"Is that Ling?" Ed heard Al call from inside the hotel room. "Invite him in!"

"You can come in," Ed said obediently, opening the door wider. Ling walked in and sat down in the seat Ed had vacated only moments before, eyeing Ed's meal like he was considering starting to eat it. Ed sat himself down in another chair, next to Al.

"What's going on?" he said. "There's...there's not a problem, is there?"

Ling shook his head. "No, not at all. I was just out for a walk this morning, enjoying the lovely city of Central, when I saw a little bakery. This loaf of bread was just sitting in the window," Ling held up the loaf of bread as evidence, "and I knew that I just had to have it! So I went inside and started talking to the baker, she was this really nice woman and she had a cousin who had lived in Xing for a while, so she could talk to me about…"

"Does this story have a point?" Ed snapped.

"I was getting there!" Ling said, mock-wounded. "Anyways, we got to talking about ghosts and spirits, naturally-"

"Naturally…." Ed muttered under his breath.

"-And she said that there's this abandoned house just a little ways outside Central, and it's supposed to be haunted! This old millionaire used to live there, and apparently some robbers broke into his house to try to get his money, but it went wrong and they ended up killing him! And now he's still said to haunt the halls of his house, and you can still hear his chains dragging behind him…."

"Ling, that does not sound like a real story," Al said gently. "Why would the millionaire even have chains?"  
Ling shrugged. "I don't know. But that's not the point. The point is: who wants to come ghosthunting with me tonight?"  
Ling gave his most winning smile. Ed snickered, half-thinking Ling was joking, and turned back to his meal.

It wasn't there. Ed lunged across the table and grabbed his plate before the entire contents disappeared down Ling's throat.

"That's MINE, goddamnit!" Ed glared at Ling as the Xing prince happily finished off Ed's eggs. Without saying a word, Al pushed another plate over to Ed. Ed wasn't sure, but he thought that Al was smiling in amusement.

Ed growled slightly and began on the second plate. "Ghost hunt, huh? You know ghosts aren't real, right?"

Ling raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "We'll see. Tonight. Come on, it'll be fun! Please?"

Ed considered, still skeptical. "A real live ghost, huh?"

"Well, a real _dead_ ghost," Ling said, sounding confused.

"It's an expression. I dunno…what do you think, Al?"

Al shook his head slightly. "I'm halfway through some important research…. I don't want to stop in the middle. But why don't you go?"

Ed hesitated. He didn't want to leave his little brother all alone, and he didn't think that the mansion was really haunted, but an overnight adventure in an old house sounded pretty fun. And he had been working really hard lately….

"Okay, fine. Let's do it," Ed said, sighing heavily just so Ling knew that he was having fun under duress. But the Xingese prince either didn't notice or didn't care, smiling broadly and reaching out to envelop Ed in an unwanted hug.

"No, stop, geroff," Ed snarled, pushing Ling away and crossing his arms. "Keep that up, you're ghosthunting alone." Ling backed off, raising his hands in surrender.

Al nodded decisively. "Okay, that's settled. Go on, brother, get out of here. You're gonna distract me."

Ed looked at his brother uncomfortably, still unwilling to just leave him behind. "Come on, Al, don't you want to go on a ghost hunt with us?"

Al shook his head. "I want to do this research. You guys go. Be sure to tell me all about it…."

Ed thought he could hear the traces of amusement beginning to creep into his little brother's voice. As usual, Ling was happily oblivious.

"Yeah, we'll come back and tell you all about the squatters and the trash piled everywhere," Ed said. "It's gonna be great."

"It _is_ gonna be great," Ling said emphatically. "Come on, Ed. We have to get supplies."

"Supplies?" Ed asked, getting interested despite himself.

"Yes, of course! We can't go without salt, and iron, and spells, and we need supplies for us too…. You think we'll spend the night in an abandoned house without food? We'd _starve_!" His eyes widened in what seemed to be genuine horror.

"Alright," Ed said, smiling a little. He didn't want to be as intrigued by the prospect of ghosthunting with Ling as he was. But he really could stand to get out of the house for the night...and it sounded like there would be food involved…. "When do we leave?"

"How about…right now?" Ling said. "See you later, Al! Come on, Ed, let's get going. It's gonna take all day if we want to get everything that I have in mind."

And with that, Ling was grabbing Ed by the back of his jacket and hauling him out the door.

Ling was right, it took most of the day to get everything that he deemed necessary for their night in the mansion. This was less because the supplies were particularly rare and complicated, and more because Ling insisted on having long conversations with the owner of every shop that they went into, and required fairly regular stops for food. By the time they had all their supplies, the sun was threatening to go down, and Ed had spent an amount of money that he was a little embarrassed to think about. But at least being out with Ling had been a lot more entertaining than being cooped up inside doing research, and he was steadily getting more and more excited for tonight.

Their last stop was a small store on the edge of Central, where they bought incense. "Do you know how to get to this mansion?" Ed asked once they left the store.

"Yeah," Ling said. "Definitely. I totally know how to get there. I got directions from the woman I talked to this morning!"

"That...that didn't sound very confident," Ed said skeptically.

"I know how to get there," Ling said, slightly more authoritatively. "It's...it's this way."

"Ling, that is back the way we came."

Ling made an about face. "Alright, it's...this way."

Ed sighed. But he figured he was out of the hotel for the night anyways, it didn't really matter if they got a little lost as long as they knew how to get back to Central. He was simply along for the ride at this point, and he didn't mind following Ling around for a while.

Ling walked determinedly in the opposite direction from which they had come, and after only about ten minutes Ed realized that they really were leaving Central. The buildings were getting farther apart and becoming more residential. And after only about fifteen more minutes of walking, the houses were so small and spread out that Ed was a little reminded of Resembool. He hadn't realized how... _separate_ he could feel from the bustle of city life without actually getting all that far outside the city.

"I think that's it," Ling said suddenly. "At least...that's sort of how the woman I talked to described it."

Ed looked where Ling was pointing, and, sure enough, there was something that looked to Ed like a haunted mansion. It was at the end of the street, the last house before the city faded into the country. The estate sprawled before them, ostentatiously oversized. Ed could tell just by looking at it that once, it had been magnificent.

But that had been long ago. Now, the mansion's red brick exterior was faded, crumbling down to rusty dust across the once elegant lawn. Its many windows were dark, the glass cracked or missing entirely. A few were boarded up, shutters hanging sadly by a single hinge. The roof was sagging, lending an air of defeat to the entire house, as though it might give up and collapse at any minute. Clearly, no one had been inside in a very long time.

"There," Ling said proudly. "There's _got_ to be a ghost inside. If I were a ghost, I'd love to haunt something like that."

Ed didn't disagree. As they stood at the edge of the lawn, weighed down by bags of supplies, one of the shutters let out a dismal creak, and Ling jumped slightly. Ed laughed, but the sound was just the tiniest bit strained. Not that he would ever admit it…

"Come on, scaredy cat," Ed said, hoisting Ling's oversized duffel of food and spells and stepping forward onto the lawn. "Let's go ghost hunting."

The interior of the house was pretty much the same as the exterior: shabby, dusty, and slowly rotting. The mansion was huge, even bigger than it had looked from the outside. Ling and Ed dumped their bags at the foot of the main staircase and set off to explore.

"The woman I talked to told me that the mansion has four floors," Ling said in a hushed whisper. "The basement, then two main floors, and finally the attic."

"You don't have to whisper," Ed told him, forcing himself to speak normally. And yet, he had to agree that it felt odd to speak aloud in the abandoned house. His voice seemed to echo weirdly in the vast emptiness around them, coming back warped and distorted, somehow louder than when it had left his lips. It was an unnerving effect.

But even so, whispering made him feel like an idiot, a little kid spooked by a scary story. Ed reminded himself firmly that he didn't believe in ghosts, and he shrugged at Ling.

Ling shook his head, unconvinced. "Let's light candles," he whispered. "It's going to be dark soon, and I don't want to be stumbling around in pitch blackness."

Ed nodded. "Good idea," he said, unconsciously dropping his voice, trying to stop it from echoing quite as much off the lofty ceilings. "Are we gonna go up or down first?"

Ling cast a look at the door beneath the stairs, which could only lead to the basement. Cautiously, he twisted the knob, and the door opened with a loud creak into utter blackness. Ed held up a candle, but the darkness was complete. They couldn't see a thing.

"Ummm… let's explore this floor first," Ling said, carefully shutting the door to the basement. "We should find a place to set up our base of operations."

Ed rolled his eyes, snickering. "'Base of operations…' You sound like Mustang."

"Well, that's what it is," Ling replied, sounding slightly injured. "The base of Operation Ghost Hunt."

"I think we can come up with a better name than Operation Ghost Hunt. It needs to be something snappy," Ed said, following Ling down a long hallway cluttered with antique pictures.

"Operation Ghost Hunt is snappy! And descriptive."

"I think we can do better. What about something like-"

Ed stopped talking as they turned the corner and the hall opened up in front of them. This was the house's main room, and it was two stories tall. There was a huge, spiraling staircase tucked into one corner, and giant windows flanking what Ed assumed was the front door. It was pretty, Ed supposed, but there was also an undeniable air of disuse to the whole thing. Dust floated in the air, illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun, and there was a strange, stale smell that made Ed's lungs feel tight. If he were a ghost, he thought he might want to live here.

"Well this is...nice," Ling said. "A little weird, but...nice."

He looked rather unimpressed with the room's grandeur and size. But then again, Ed figured Ling had probably grown up in a palace, and he was used to far nicer rooms than this one. This mansion probably felt like Ed's small house back in Resembool when compared to what he was used to.

"Let's go upstairs," Ed said, gesturing at the staircase. "The rooms up there might be smaller. Better for us to set up in."

Ling nodded, and the two made their way up the spiral staircase. The stairs creaked alarmingly beneath them with each step. Ed could tell the house was old, and he had a vague sense that they were one wrong move from causing it to collapse beneath them. But they made their way to the second floor without any trouble, and Ed decided he had been right, the rooms up here did seem smaller. Much better for trapping ghosts.

"Ling," Ed asked tentatively as they continued to make their way around the second floor. "Can...can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You don't...you don't actually believe that a ghost lives in this house, do you?"

Ling looked at Ed as if he were insane. "Of course I do. Doesn't this seem like the perfect sort of house for a ghost?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And I told you that the woman I spoke to this morning was sure that it was haunted, right?"

"I mean, you did, yeah-"

"And can't you just _feel_ that this house has a weird energy?"

"I guess?"

"So why _wouldn't_ you think that there are ghosts in here?"

"I guess I'm just...not entirely sure that ghosts are real?"

Ling stared at him in shock and disbelief, as though Ed had just told him that he didn't believe in the periodic table, or gravity, or breathing.

"... _What_?!" Ling finally gasped, clearly having trouble forcing the words out. "How - why-"

Ed interrupted Ling's sputtering, feeling unreasonably guilty. "I'm a scientist. It…it just seems unlikely to me." He shrugged, not wanting to tell Ling everything that was on his mind. Sure, Ed was an alchemist, and the greatest power he believed in was the one that came from his own two hands, but there was more to it than that. The last time he'd messed with life after death, his brother had lost his body and Ed had paid dearly to rectify that mistake. The idea of a ghost, something that bridged the gap between life and death…. Ed shuddered slightly, thinking about the half-living, half-dead thing that had quivered brokenly in the center of his transmutation circle.

"You're shivering," Ling said triumphantly. "See, you can't deny the atmosphere!"

"Sure," Ed muttered. Anything as long as Ling didn't know the truth, that Ed wasn't scared of a specter, but of his own past.

"There _is_ a ghost," Ling proclaimed. "Just you wait," he added darkly, and glared at the emptiness around them. "Just you wait…"

Ed waited for Ling to turn back to him for a few seconds, but when the prince didn't move, he cleared his throat slightly. Ling jumped a little and spun around.

"Do you…do you wanna set up in that small room we passed? The one with the blue wallpaper and creepy painting?" Ed asked meekly, trying to appease Ling for his disbelief.

Ling smiled, accepting Ed's peace offering. "Yeah, let's get our stuff." Together, the two headed back down the stairs and collected their many, many bags. Ed groaned slightly at the thought of carrying all that weight back up the grand staircase, but he knew that Ling firmly believed in the usefulness of absolutely every item in every bag.

Somehow, they managed to get all the equipment up the stairs and into the room that Ed had picked out. Ling fussed around the bags, muttering to himself happily as he removed random items and checked them over, seemingly for no reason. Ed leaned against the wall and stared distrustfully at the painting hanging across from him. It was a portrait, he thought, but it was oddly dark, and the subject of the picture seemed to have turned away from the painter. Her face was turned back, towards the viewer, but it was hidden in shadow. All Ed could see was a painted glint where her eyes should be. It was deeply unsettling. If Ed had to guess, he would have said that this girl haunted the mansion, rather than the murdered millionaire. He wished he could see her face….

Suddenly, Ling paused in his search. He looked up, around the room, then locked eyes with Ed. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Ed opened his mouth to ask Ling what he'd meant when he heard it too. It sounded as though someone had opened a door on the bottom floor, then let it slam behind them. Someone…or some _thing_.

Ed shook himself, annoyed at how quickly he'd let Ling's stories spook him. Once again, he reminded himself firmly that he didn't believe in ghosts. Still, he had heard something.

"I heard it," he whispered, and then Ling was on his feet. He grabbed a bag of something, Ed wasn't sure what - probably some sort of ghost repellant - and led the way out the door and down the stairs. At the landing, he paused, listening closely for any other suspicious sounds in the supposedly empty house.

Below them, Ed heard something creak. He jumped slightly. "Where is it coming from?" he whispered to Ling.

"I don't know exactly," Ling whispered back. "Somewhere downstairs. That way."

He gestured vaguely at the left part of the house, the side they hadn't explored yet. Then, he slowly continued down the stairs, holding his bag of...whatever it was out in front of him. Both of them were trying to be as quiet as possible. Ed was hardly even daring to breathe. He felt a shiver run up his spine.

Somewhere farther back in the house, Ed heard another door open and close, softer this time. As if the ghost knew it was being followed.

"Ling," Ed hissed. "What are you going to do if we find it?"

He shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Talk to it? Maybe it'll grant us a favor."

Normally, Ed would have pointed out to Ling that what they were chasing was not in fact a leprechaun and they would almost certainly not be getting a "favor," but now, he was a little bit too freaked out. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up, and his heart was beating just a tiny bit faster than was comfortable.

"No. I mean...what if it attacks us? Ghosts can be dangerous, you know."

Ling turned back towards Ed and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."

The faint sound of footsteps echoed through the house in the space between Ling's words. Ed sucked in a small breath. "I...I take it back," he whispered. "I was wrong, ghosts are real. Just...you have a way to keep it from hurting us, right?"

Ling nodded authoritatively and held up his bag. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "I have this."

"What is it?"

"It's an ancient Xingese recipe. It's supposed to ward off evil spirits. It'll keep us safe. Assuming I made it correctly-"

Ling cut off as they heard the bang of another door. "That sounded close," Ling said, starting to walk faster. "Let's hurry, get it before it moves again…."

Ed followed quickly after Ling. He had his hands up, ready to do alchemy just in case they did come across something. He wasn't entirely sure how much he trusted Ling's bag of ghost protection, not if Ling wasn't even sure he'd made the damn thing right. He wanted to be prepared for a fight.

The two of them hurried through a dark, dusty dining room and into a dim library, bookshelves stretching almost to the ceiling. There was a part of Ed that he couldn't turn off that wanted to stay and look at all the books that were here, but Ling kept running forward, propelled by the faint sound of the ghost up in front of them.

"It's not a very good ghost!" Ling exclaimed in frustration as they left the library and entered a small living room. "Why does it keep running away from us? It's like it doesn't even want us to be haunted!"

"...maybe it's more scared of us than we are of it," Ed ventured, wondering if animal logic worked on ghosts.

Ling scoffed and darted across the living room, listening at the open door and then turning left. "A ghost that's scared of people? That's ridiculous!"

"You believe in _ghosts_ , but it being scared of living people is somehow ridiculous?" Ed muttered, but Ling didn't hear him.

"It's close," he whispered, gesturing to a door on their right. "I think I hear it in the next room."

Ed listened closely. Sure enough, he could hear some sort of rustling. He wasn't sure if ghosts rustled, but he supposed they had to make some sort of sound. The hackles rising on the back of his neck, he raised his hands slightly in a defensive position. Then, the door began to slowly creak open.

"It's coming," Ling hissed, brandishing his bag of ghost repellant. "Get ready, Ed…."

Ed braced himself, ready for…he wasn't sure what, a battle? Would alchemy work on a ghost? He kept his eyes glued to the door, wondering what the ghost would look like. Would it be a silvery fog, unsubstantial and wispy? Or would it look more like it had in life, with a body and a face? Or…would it look like the millionaire right after his death, peppered with bullet holes and soaked with blood? Ed shuddered slightly, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the growing opening. Then, the door creaked all the way open, and Ed and Ling were face to face with the specter they'd been chasing.

Ed wasn't sure exactly what he had expected to see, but it certainly wasn't this. Ling slowly lowered his bag of ghost repellant, an almost comical look of confusion on his face.

"...Lieutenant Havoc?" Ed finally said, staring at the soldier in disbelief. Havoc was wearing civilian clothes, and he didn't look nearly as surprised to see Ed and Ling as the two boys were to see him.

"Hey, Ed. Whatcha doin'?" Havoc asked, accepting their presence with a shrug. "Who's your friend?"

"T-this is Ling," Ed said slowly, still trying to process the sudden change in tone. "He's a prince, from Xing."

"2nd Lieutenant Jean Havoc," the soldier said to Ling, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Ling said happily, extending his hand and shaking Havoc's. He seemed to have accepted the sudden addition of Havoc with alarming ease.

"But…but why are you _here_?" Ed sputtered, looking back and forth from Havoc to the house, wondering if he'd somehow been transported back to Central Command without realizing it. Havoc shrugged and took a drag on his cigarette, which, now that Ed thought about it, smelled different than usual.

"I come here to smoke pot sometimes. It's my day off." He looked down at Ed and Ling with sudden dismay. "Hey, is that why you're here? You guys are way too young! No way am I giving you any…really, Ed, you should have known I'm not gonna do something like that…." Havoc gave Ed a look of disappointment and reproach, and Ed rolled his eyes at the lieutenant.

"We didn't come here to smoke pot," Ed said, slightly derisively. Havoc looked instantly relieved, and took another drag.

"We're here on a ghost hunt," Ling said with a grin. Ed sighed slightly. He hadn't been going to mention that information….

"Ghost hunt?" Havoc said, looking around frantically. "This place is haunted?"

"Absolutely," Ling said, sounding thrilled. "There was this millionaire, and he died…violently. Now, he haunts these halls!"

Havoc shivered slightly, blue eyes widening in fear. "Is he dangerous?" he whispered, looking over his shoulder. "I don't wanna get eaten by a ghost looking for revenge…."

"He might be," Ling said solemnly. "But I have this bag of ghost repellant, so we'll be safe. Wanna come with us?"

Havoc cast one more glance over his shoulder, making sure that the ghost wasn't behind him. "Sure, might as well," he said, closing the door behind him. "Where do you think he is? Down here?"

"Well, we actually thought you were the ghost," Ling said, chuckling.

"That's stupid," Havoc said, somewhat derisively.

"What?"  
Havoc frowned slightly, as if he thought they were kidding. "Guys, ghosts don't make noise."

Ling looked over at Ed, eyebrows raised. Ed shook his head slightly, trying to signal to Ling that Havoc was normally nothing like this, that the marijuana had done...something to his brain that made him perplexing and blunt. Ling just shrugged a little.

"Ghosts _themselves_ may not make noise," Ling said defensively. "But I bet if it moves anything in the physical world, we'll still be able to hear it. And I think it probably will. I think it _wants_ us to find it."

Ed frowned. "Ling, are you sure this ghost even exists? The only evidence we really had that this house was haunted was the noises, and that turned out to just be Havoc."

Ling threw his hands up in the air. "Ed, not ten minutes ago you were completely sure there was a ghost in here, and you were terrified."

Havoc giggled softly. "Haha, Ed was scared of a ghost."

"Excuse me," Ed said. "I was just...pretending. Playing along. I knew the ghost wasn't real."

Ling sighed dramatically, eyeing Havoc and Ed up and down. " _I_ am going to catch this ghost, with or without you guys, and it's going to be awesome. But you're only allowed to come with me if you're going to take it seriously."

Havoc's head bobbed up and down, his eyes locked attentively on Ling. "I'll take it seriously, don't worry, I will, I promise."

Ling's eyes narrowed. "You're pretty high, so I'm not sure what your opinion counts for." He turned to Ed.

Ed sighed. "I'm taking it seriously, don't worry. I was just thrown by seeing Havoc. But...did you say you were going to catch the ghost? I thought we just wanted to...see it, or something."

"I mean, even if we just saw it I would be happy. But I think I would prefer if we could catch it."

"How are you even planning on doing that?"

Ling shrugged. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You know, ghost traps and the like. I think we at least have a fair shot. Let's go back up to home base and you can help me set a few things up."

"Okay," Ed said, shrugging. "And I'm starving. I want some snacks."

Havoc's head swiveled, and he looked at Ed eagerly. "Someone say snacks? I want snacks…."

"You can have some food if you help us set up a ghost trap," Ling told Havoc firmly, setting off for their home base.

"What if the ghost trap makes it angry?" Havoc asked, sounding worried. "I don't think I want an angry ghost."

"It won't matter if it's angry," Ling said, as though it were obvious. "Because it's in the ghost trap and it won't be able to get to us."

"Are you sure? What if it doesn't work?" Havoc stopped walking, beginning to look panicked. "What if it gets free and melts our faces?"

"I don't think ghosts melt faces," Ed said doubtfully. He didn't know much about the supernatural, but he was at least pretty sure of this point. Ling nodded in agreement, trying to contain a laugh.

"I don't want my face to melt," Havoc said, crossing his arms. "I like my face on my skull, unmelted."

"Your face will be fine," Ling said. "Besides, the ghost trap will work. Xingese lore is very specific on this one. Don't worry."

Havoc looked unconvinced, but the promise of food must have proved too good to pass up. "Fine, but if it comes at me, I'm gonna tell it that it was your idea. And then I'll probably run away." He followed Ling down the hallway, still looking a little nervous.

"I don't think running is gonna work too well, Havoc," Ed said solemnly, unable to resist messing with him a little. "Ghosts can smell fear. They'll go after the one who seems like the easiest target."

Both Ling and Havoc gasped simultaneously. "Really?" Havoc whimpered, casting a panicked glance at the walls, as though he expected the ghost to materialize and melt his face right there and then.

"I've never heard that in any legend," Ling said, frowning in dismay. "Ed, what story is that in? I need to expand my research."

Ed caught Ling's eye and winked at him, then motioned his head towards Havoc, who'd stopped walking and was now taking a series of deep breaths.

"What...what are you doing?" Ed asked, nonplussed.

"I'm trying to trick the ghost," Havoc snapped. "Now it will think I'm relaxed and it won't know I'm scared. And I'll keep my face."

Ed swallowed a snicker and watched as Havoc inhaled deeply. Ling glared at Ed a little. "Come on, Lieutenant Havoc, I think you'll be fine."

"I don't want it to smell me!" Havoc said, raising his voice slightly. He jumped and shot a nervous glance down the hallway, then dropped his voice to a whisper and continued. "I am _not_ gonna die single! Damn it, now I have to relax all over again…"

"I…I was just joking," Ed said, watching Havoc breathe determinedly. "I don't think ghosts can smell fear. You're fine."

Havoc opened one eye and stared at Ed dubiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ling and Ed both said at the same time. Ling started off down the hallway again, motioning them to follow.

"Come on, I want to get this ghost trap set up before it realizes what's going on. Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

The group made it back upstairs without incident. Havoc stopped a few times, as if he had forgotten he was supposed to be following Ed and Ling, but each time Ed managed to get him back on track with only a gentle reminder.

"So...tell me about this guy," Ling said at one point, when they were far away enough from Havoc that he probably couldn't hear. "Is he a State Alchemist too?"

Ed laughed a little at the idea of Havoc doing alchemy. "No, he just also works under Colonel Mustang. He, uh…" Ed racked his brains for helpful facts about Havoc that he could impart to Ling. "He smokes a lot. And he really likes girls, but they always break up with him."

"Well, I can see that he smokes a lot," Ling said, snickering a little.

"No, I mean, cigarettes, usually." Ed's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked back at Havoc, who had stopped again, and was examining an oil painting of a large-bosomed girl as if she held the keys to the whole universe. "I had _no_ idea that he also smoked pot until tonight." Ed raised his voice slightly. "Come on Havoc, this way."

Havoc tore himself away from the painting and obediently followed them back up the stairs. They made it back to the room where they'd left the rest of their supplies, and Ling immediately started rifling through bags, pulling out various ingredients and setting them on the floor.

Ed watched him with genuine interest. Whether or not he believed in ghosts was almost irrelevant, he was much more fascinated with the way Ling handled ingredients Ed had never even heard of as if he were completely confident in what he was doing. Ed hadn't really grown up on ghost stories, who would have told them to him? But Ling clearly had, and the various spells and potions he was currently assembling seemed as much a part of him as the mythology itself.

"What does this do?" Ed asked, pointing to a large vial full of red liquid.

"That's what we're going to draw the trap with," Ling said.

"You have to draw it out? Is it like a transmutation circle?"

Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, considering. "A little," he said. "Except it has to be made out of certain things. And it has to be pretty big. So it can fit the ghost in it."

Ed was about to ask another question, but he was interrupted by Havoc clearing his throat. Ed looked up. The lieutenant was still standing by the door, looking around in a dazed sort of confusion.

"Is the trap going to make the ghost come here?" he asked.

Ling shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. It may sense the energy."

"I don't want it to come here."

"Havoc," Ed said, somewhat impatiently, "we've already told you, it can't hurt you…."

"I'm going to go smoke more," Havoc said definitively.

"Wait, I'm not sure you really need to do that…."

"Don't worry," Havoc said, waving them away. "I'll be right back." And with that, he vanished, leaving Ed and Ling staring after him in mild trepidation.

Ed sighed. He really hadn't been worrying about whether or not Havoc would come back, more about Havoc's marijuana consumption. The lieutenant already seemed pretty high, and he was becoming hard to deal with. Ed was here for a ghost hunt, not to babysit an anxiety-ridden Havoc. He shrugged slightly. If worst came to worst, he and Ling could always ditch the soldier. The way things were heading, he might not even notice.

On the other side of the room, Ling was dragging bags away from the center of the floor. He waved at Ed to get his attention.

"Ed! Come here and help me clear off the floor! I want to get this trap set up…"

Ed did as Ling asked, fascinated by the strange mythology. Once they'd cleared off a large section of the floor - a transmutation circle-sized section - Ling crouched down and uncapped the red liquid. He dipped two of his fingers into the vial and began to draw the ghost trap on the worn wooden floorboards.

Ed watched him work for a while, but the trap seemed to be as complex as a high level transmutation circle. It would probably be some time before Ling completed his work, and Ed wasn't helping anything by standing here.

Ed tiptoed around Ling, careful not to break his concentration, and began to rifle through their bags for food. He came up with a loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese. Ed considered offering some to Ling, but the Xingese prince looked pretty busy, and Ed didn't want to bother him. Instead, he retreated to the corner and began eating his bread and cheese.

"Food? Can I have some?"

Ed looked up to see that Havoc had returned. He grinned at Ed goofily, turning his head to the side like a puppy dog begging for food. Which wasn't really that far off, now that Ed considered it.

"This is our food," Ed said, a little snappily. "If you wanted to eat, you should have brought your own food."

"I did," Havoc said morosely. "But I ate it. I think. Come on, Ed…"

"Just give the lieutenant some food," Ling said without looking up from his circle. "We have plenty."

Havoc grinned widely and bounced up and down a little, following Ed back to the pile of bags. Ed located another loaf of bread and stood up, almost bumping into the lieutenant.

"Damn it, Havoc, back up!" Havoc was standing only a few inches behind him, almost stepping on Ed's heels.

He complied, looking a little confused. "I'm not Havoc anymore," he announced, taking the piece of bread from Ed and beginning to devour it.

"...What?" Ed said, intrigued despite himself. He couldn't wait to see where this was going.

"I'm at a new plane of understanding," Havoc said solemnly. "Colors are different now. And have you ever really thought about how feet work before?"

Ed blinked at him, but couldn't really think of anything to say.

Havoc nodded, as though Ed had just proved whatever vague and convoluted point he was trying to make. "I've reached a new level. I need a new name. Once you reach this level, you get a new name."

"Oh," Ed said, blinking slowly at the lieutenant. He had never imagined that he was going to see this side of Havoc, and he wasn't exactly sure whether he liked it or not. He had no idea how he was supposed to take the man seriously when they were all back at work. "Alright."

"I'm gonna go find it."

"Find what?"

"The name!" Havoc exclaimed, as if he thought Ed were stupid. He turned around and left the room, not even bothering to give Ed a backwards glance. Ed sighed.

"Is it really a good idea for him to leave again?" Ling said. He didn't look up from the complex designs he was still drawing on the floor. His eyes were closed tight, or, tighter than usual anyway, and he was clearly deep in concentration.

"I don't know," Ed said helplessly. "I can't force him to stay if he doesn't want to. And he's an adult, he can make his own choices. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Why don't you get him back in here?" Ling said sagely.

Ed sighed, then walked to the doorway. "Havoc!" he called out. "Come back for a second!"

"No!" The voice was from down the hallway, Havoc clearly hadn't gone back down the stairs yet. "I'm looking for my new name!"

"Why can't Havoc be your name still?"

There was no answer for a few seconds. Ed suspected Havoc might be thinking. Then: "I've ascended the levels!"

Ed turned back towards Ling, who had turned away from his painting project and was now watching the exchange at the door with interest. "What do I do?" he mouthed to Ling.

"Lieutenant Havoc!" Ling called out. "Come back in here. We...we can help you find your new name!"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Ling said, simultaneously making eye contact with Ed and shrugging desperately. "Really. We...we'll help you find it."

Havoc didn't respond, but Ed could hear the heavy sound of his footsteps as he made his way back to the room. He arrived outside the doorway, tried to burst into the room, and…

Slammed into the doorframe. Ling and Ed both sucked in a sharp breath as he bounced off the hard wood, but he quickly rallied, looking as if it hadn't even phased him. He made his way into the room like nothing had ever happened.

"Are you…okay?" Ling asked uncertainly.

Havoc nodded, giving him an odd look, as though he was unsure why Ling had asked him such a silly question. "You guys said you would help me find my new name."

Ed sighed. He'd been hoping that Havoc would forget, but the lieutenant seemed to have at least one idea firmly entrenched in his drug-addled mind.

"How about 'Chickless?'" Ling said, still not looking up from his complicated circle. Ed blinked in surprise, then dissolved in laughter. He looked up at Havoc to see if he had noticed, but the lieutenant was just staring vaguely at Ling, seeming confused.

"Get it, Havoc?" Ed asked. "It's funny cuz you don't have a girlfriend. And every time you get one, she breaks up with you." Havoc still seemed to be unsure of what was going on, which was probably for the better. Still, it had been a good joke. A good joke that Ling couldn't have made without the information he'd gotten from Ed about Havoc…. So really, Ed basically owned half of the joke. He shrugged.

"Good joke. I'm real funny," he said, seamlessly taking the credit that he obviously deserved. Havoc laughed obediently, clearly still confused. Ling finally looked up from the ghost trap, sputtering with righteous indignation.

" _You're_ funny?! I'm the one who made the joke!" He glared at Ed, expecting him to make some sort of accusation or denial, but Ed just shrugged derisively, as though it couldn't possibly have been Ling who made the joke. Maybe he would just drop the subject if Ed stayed silent, it wasn't like Havoc had understood it anyway.

Before Ling could follow up on his anger, Havoc shook his head vehemently. "You guys aren't helping. I need to find my name. I think I have to do it by myself."

Without a backwards glance, Havoc walked purposefully out of the room and made it a little ways down the hallway before they heard another thud and the sound of Havoc falling heavily to the ground. Then, they heard him get back to his feet and continue off down the corridor.

"Are you sure he's going to be alright?" Ling asked Ed, anger forgotten.

Ed wasn't, but he didn't really want to watch Havoc run into walls and eat all their food. Besides, he wasn't sure that they could really do anything to make Havoc stay with them if he didn't want to.

"He'll be fine," Ed said with a confidence he didn't feel. "He does this all the time."

Ling's eyes narrowed. "I thought you said you didn't know he smoked until tonight."

Damn. Ed hadn't expected Ling to actually listen to him. "Well, I didn't, but this clearly isn't his first time smoking pot or anything… We should trust him and just let him do his own thing."

Ling nodded tentatively, then returned to the ghost trap. He drew one final symbol and stood up, looking down at his handiwork with pride. "It's done."

Ed joined him, impressed. The circle was an intricate array of lines, symbols, and Xing words, overlapping and crisscrossing in ways that were definitely reminiscent of a complex transmutation circle.

"Wow, that looks nice," Ed said. "Now...when is the ghost gonna show up?"

Ling frowned slightly. "I'm...not exactly sure."

"But it'll come here?"

"It should," Ling said, looking a little anxious. They waited in silence for a few minutes. Nothing happened. "Um...maybe we should go walk around again. We can corner it somehow. Herd it into the trap."

"Good idea," Ed said. He would much rather explore the house then stay trapped here in a side room.

He and Ling left the room they were using as home base and started wandering down the hallway again. Ling was holding a candle, as well as the bag of ghost repellent, and Ed let him walk a little bit in front. All Ed could hear was the sound of footsteps and their own breathing. He tried to see if he could figure out where Havoc had gone, but he must have either stopped moving or left the house altogether because Ed didn't hear anything.

The silence was so complete that it was starting to feel a little tense. Ed felt like he was being slowly suffocated. With a sudden burst of speed, he lunged forward a few steps and grabbed Ling's shoulders, yelling.

Ling shrieked and jumped forward. Ed doubled over laughing at his friend's fear.

"You thought I was a ghost!" Ed giggled.

"Don't do that!" Ling said, but he was laughing too. "We'll never be able to catch the ghost if we keep messing around."

"It was funny though," Ed said, bringing himself back under control as Ling straightened up and kept walking. "You were so scared…."

They walked around the top floor for a few more minutes, peeking into a few dusty, disused rooms that didn't really give them more information on where the ghost might be. Ling kept the bag of ghost repellant held out in front of them, ready for anything that might appear around the next corner. Every time they entered a new room, he would whisper a few words under his breath. Eventually, Ed realized he was speaking in another language.

"Are those spells?" Ed asked finally.

"Yeah," Ling said with a proud expression. "They're in an ancient Xing dialect. They're supposed to protect us and weaken the ghost, as well as force it to make its presence known. If it's around, this will tell us."

Ed nodded, intrigued. At this point, it didn't much matter if he believed in ghosts. This was fascinating.

Ling began muttering again, and Ed heard something. He wasn't sure what it was, it was coming from another room, but he'd definitely heard something move.

"Ling! Did you hear that?" Ed hissed, grabbing Ling by the elbow. Ling nodded triumphantly.

"I think my spells are working," he hissed. "Follow that sound!"

Together, the two boys hurried across the room and threw the door open. Ling stepped forward and spoke a few lines of a spell, no longer whispering. Now, his voice was loud and confident.

There was another noise from their left, and Ling and Ed ran down the hallway. Ling stuffed the ghost repellant into his pocket and began shouting his spell, and the Xingese dialect sounded eldritch and powerful. Ed felt a thrill of excitement. Maybe Ling hadn't been so wrong after all.

Ling motioned to a tightly closed door, and they slowed to a stop. Ling reached out to open it, but Ed stepped in front of him and kicked the door in with his automail leg. The door collapsed in splinters of rotting wood, and Ling waved the dust away. He and Ed stepped through the opening, hands raised in warning.

Ed looked around the room, but he didn't see any ghost. Just a slowly decaying study, with somber wallpaper and a few disintegrating chairs.

Ling raised his voice, continuing to cast his spell. Ed listened for something, anything…. Wait. He'd heard something.

Ed looked around the room again, and this time he noticed a door that had been concealed in the corner behind the desk. Some sort of private room off the study, Ed guessed. It didn't really matter. If there was a ghost, it was behind that door.

Ed caught Ling's eyes and motioned to the next room. Ling nodded, and not pausing in his spell, strode forward. Ed did the same, raising his hands into a fighting stance.

Ling nodded his head toward the door, fishing the ghost repellant out of his pocket. Ed stepped forward and broke the door down with one kick. The dust settled, and Ling and Ed peered into the next room to see what they'd caught.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Ed yelled, looking down at the cowering form of Lieutenant Havoc. At the sound of his voice, Havoc slowly removed his arms from above his head and looked up at Ed.

"Ed? Ling? Where's the ghost?" He blinked up at them, clearly terrified. A little blood trickled down his face from his nose and lip, both of which were bleeding slightly. He wiped at it absentmindedly. "I don't wanna die," he whimpered, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

"What do you mean, 'where's the ghost?'" Ed asked him impatiently.

"I...I heard the ghost," Havoc said, still sounding frightened. "It was in that room there." He pointed back the way that Ed and Ling had come. "You...you must have seen it, you woulda walked right past it…."

"What?" Ling said, turning back towards the room and looking shocked. "Lieutenant Havoc, what did you see?"

"I didn't _see_ anything," Havoc said miserably, looking down at the ground. "But I heard it. It was comin' for me, moving really fast, yellin' in this language I don't know…." Ed recognized the sound of the deep country accent that a few people had spoken with even in Resembool. He'd rarely heard Havoc let himself slip into it. He must be really scared.

Ling sighed heavily, and Ed looked at the soldier with some measure of sympathy. "Havoc, that was _us,_ " Ed said. "We were the ones yelling in the other room."

Havoc looked up, his bloodshot eyes meeting Ed's. "Why...why were you pretendin' to be ghosts?"

"We weren't pretending to be ghosts," Ling explained exasperatedly. "We thought _you_ were the ghost. That's why we were yelling spells. We're sorry for scaring you."

Havoc looked down again, muttering something about ghosts and just wanting to be able to use his weed house in peace. Ling looked over at Ed.

"We're never going to be able to find the ghost while he's wandering around in here too," Ling said. "We're just going to keep accidentally chasing after him...it's like a viscous cycle…."

Ed snickered.

"What?"

"It's vicious, Ling, not viscous. Viscous is like when something is sticky, we're certainly not talking about that-"

"Whatever," Ling said, waving his hands in irritation. "That's not the point. And you know I'm almost completely fluent in two languages, that's more than-"

"Hey!" Havoc said excitedly, cutting Ling off. Both Ling and Ed turned towards him. He had his fingers pressed into his lip, and he was distractedly smearing the blood across his face. "Guess what? I found my new name!"

"What...what is it?" Ed asked, almost a little nervous to hear the answer.

"Crash!"

Ling blinked at him. "Your new name is Crash?"

"Yep," Havoc said. "Cause I keep crashing into things." He held out his bloody fingers as evidence.

Ed sighed. He had figured that Havoc knew how to handle himself after smoking pot, since this clearly wasn't the first time he'd done it. But Ed didn't know if he'd been nervous and smoked more this time than he usually did or what, but he clearly wasn't capable of taking care of himself. Ed shouldn't have left him alone, not if he was just going to spend the whole night running into walls and damaging himself.

"Why don't you come with us, Lieutenant Havoc?" Ling said kindly. "You can help us finish exploring the house…."

"It's Crash."

Ling took a deep, steadying breath. "Alright, Crash," he said. "Why don't you come with us for a little bit?"

Havoc considered, then nodded. Ed offered him a hand and heaved the man off the floor to his feet. Havoc looked around vaguely, still rubbing his lip.

"Don't do that," Ed told him, but Havoc wasn't listening and Ed didn't feel like babysitting the lieutenant anymore than he already had to. Besides, the cut wasn't deep, Havoc couldn't really do any more damage by messing with it.

Ling, Ed and Havoc set off through the house, a little less excitedly this time. Even Ling seemed disheartened by the second discovery of Havoc, and he muttered his spells in a desultory way as they advanced through the halls.

"Can we stop by home base and get some more food?" Ed asked hopefully. Ling nodded, a little dejectedly.

"Yeah…I'm hungry too," he said, putting his bag of ghost repellant in his pocket. Behind them, Havoc gasped.

"Oh! That reminds me!" The soldier stopped walking and plunged his hand into his own pocket. After fumbling around for a few seconds, he produced something brown and dry-looking with a triumphant air.

"...what is that?" Ed asked, unsure if he really wanted to know.

"A leaf sandwich," Havoc said happily. "Do you guys want one? I bet I could make you some leaf sandwiches too. It's a leaf, in between two leaves. Leaf sandwich."

Ed and Ling shook their heads in confused silence. "You're not gonna eat that, are you?" Ed asked with some trepidation.

In answer, Havoc took a bite out of the leaves he held in his hand. There was an odd sort of crunching sound, and he chewed happily as Ed and Ling watched in horrified fascination.

"Does that...taste good?" Ling finally asked.

Havoc shrugged. "It's part of my new life. Crash likes leaf sandwiches."

"Why?" Ling asked him as they set off back to home base.

"I dunno, I just know it's important," Havoc said, banging heavily into an ornate picture frame. He fell to the floor and raised his hand to his forehead. When he took it away, his fingers were bloody again, and a small gash over his eyebrow was beginning to bleed. Ed eyed him uncertainly, wondering if the lieutenant had really hurt himself this time, but Havoc pushed himself up and continued as though nothing had happened. "It's part of the key."

"Part of what key?" Ed asked, grinning slightly.

" _The_ key," Havoc replied solemnly as he walked into the doorframe. He adjusted and managed to enter the room properly as Ed and Ling rummaged through their many bags for food.

"Are you hungry…Crash?" Ling asked hesitantly, offering Havoc a piece of bread. Havoc shook his head.

"I have some more leaf sandwiches," he said, patting his pocket. Ed sighed heavily, but he didn't particularly want to share his food anyway, so he wasn't going to argue.

While they ate, Havoc installed himself in the corner and produced another leaf sandwich from his pocket. Ed looked over, unwillingly amused by the soldier trying to eat leaves.

"Havoc-"

"Crash."

" _Crash-_ stop doing that! You're gonna hurt yourself." Havoc had pushed his fingers into the cut at his forehead, and was idly smearing his blood over his eyebrow and temple. Unlike the cut on his lip, this was fairly deep, and Ed was worried about what the soldier was doing to himself. Havoc blinked at him, but he didn't seem to want to stop. Reluctantly, Ed got to his feet and walked over to Havoc, pulling the soldier's hand away from the wound.

"I'm gonna bandage this," Ed told him. Havoc shrugged, as though it didn't affect him at all, and used the hand Ed wasn't grabbing to stuff a few leaves into his mouth. Ed sighed heavily.

"Ling, do we have any cloth I can use to help this idiot out?" Ling looked slightly scandalized by Ed's insult of Havoc, but even he couldn't argue as Havoc happily chewed on his dead leaves. He merely nodded and passed Ed a length of bandage.

Ed released Havoc's wrist, smacking it as the lieutenant tried to return his hand to his wound, and wound the bandage around his head. He tied it off and stepped back, glaring slightly at Havoc. "Leave that alone, okay?"

Havoc nodded vaguely, seeming to lose interest. Ed shook his head slightly and retreated to the supplies to get himself something more to eat. Ling, having watched the whole affair with mild interest, shrugged and continued to eat as well.

Ling's enthusiasm seemed to have been restored by the food, and as Ed finished his own snack, Ling bounced up eagerly.

"We haven't checked the attic yet," he pointed out. "Maybe the ghost's up there. Come on!"

Ed brightened. The attic sounded interesting, and he got to his feet. Havoc followed suit, picking a little at the bandage around his head. Ed glowered at Havoc and they followed Ling out of the room.

The stairs leading up to the attic were steep, climbing haphazardly up into darkness. Havoc took one look at them and shook his head vehemently.

"Uh, no way am I going up there," he said, backing away from the stairs as though he thought Ling and Ed were going to manhandle him up to the attic.

"Come on, Lieu- Crash," Ling said, catching himself. "You'll be fine."

"I'll be fine down here," Havoc said firmly, plopping down on the floor and pulling another handful of leaves from his pocket. "Be careful of the ghost. And make sure you don't chase it down here towards me."

"We won't, we won't, just don't leave," Ed said, fighting to keep his voice level. "Stay...stay here."

Havoc nodded happily. He looked like he would be amused a good while yet simply staring at the wall. Ling made eye contact with Ed and nodded, and the two made their way up the stairs, trying to ignore the ominous creaking.

The attic itself was dark and creepy-looking, even more so than the rest of the house. There were no windows, so it was pitch black aside from the candles that Ed and Ling were holding. Dark shapes loomed ominously up out of the darkness, chests containing unknown wares, crooked lamps, furniture covered in white sheets. Ed felt a shiver run up his spine. This whole house was ripe for ghosts, but this was the best room for them. If he were a ghost, he would live right here.

"Do you...do you see anything?" Ling asked. He pushed his way forward a few steps then paused, clearly listening. All Ed could hear was their breathing and the sound of Havoc slowly getting to his feet on the floor below.

And then...a faint creak. Somewhere farther back, in the part of the attic that was completely hidden in darkness.

"That...that can't be Havoc," Ed breathed. "He's downstairs, he couldn't have snuck by us…."

"It's the ghost," Ling whispered firmly. "Stay behind me. I'll make sure it can't hurt you."

Ed was only too happy to oblige. He remained a few steps behind Ling as they slowly advanced forward. Ed's heart was pounding in his ears.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ed said quietly. "This...doesn't seem like a good idea…."

"I want to trap the ghost," Ling whispered. He sounded sure. Ed continued to follow him.

"There!" Ling suddenly said, pointing. But he didn't need to. Ed had seen it too, he was sure of it. Movement. So Ling had been right the entire time. There really was something there. They both plunged forward.

And then, downward. The floor collapsed beneath them with a wet ripping sound, and they were falling in a shower of plaster and wood. Instinctively, Ed curled tighter in on himself, trying to protect his flesh and blood limbs with his metal ones.

Before they hit the floor below, Ed had time for a single panicked hope that they wouldn't crash through the second floor, too. They hit the floorboards, which creaked alarmingly, but held, even under the onslaught of wreckage from the attic.

Ed groaned, bringing a hand to his head dizzily. When he'd landed, his forehead had bounced off his automail arm, and for just a second, everything had gone black. Now, his ears were ringing slightly, and his eyes seemed to be a little fuzzy. He squinted at his fingers and found that they were tinged with red. He was bleeding.

"Ed! Ling! Did the ghost attack you? Are you okay?" And then Havoc was in the room, crouching over Ed and looking concerned. Ed sat up, clutching his head as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him.

"Are you hurt?" Havoc asked, suddenly seeming a lot more like his normal self. "I knew it! Ghosts are dangerous and we need to leave RIGHT NOW!" He reached down and scooped Ed up, tucking him into the crook of his arm and turning to Ling.

Ed pushed at Havoc's arm, but the lieutenant was strong, and Ed's head was pounding thickly. Everything was very slightly blurry, and the movement was making him feel sick….

"Put me down," he said weakly, but his heart wasn't quite in it.

Havoc ignored him, directing his attention toward Ling, who was crouched in the center of the debris. "Ling! Come on, the ghost is mad! Can we please run away now?"

Ling looked up, and even with the blurriness in his eyes, Ed could see the pain on his face.

"Ling, what's wrong?" Ed asked, squirming slightly. "Havoc, let me go! Ling's hurt…"

Finally, Havoc put him down, mercifully forgetting his demand that he be referred to as Crash in the turmoil. Ed made sure he had his balance, then rushed over to Ling.

"What happened?" Ed asked, looking Ling over for any obvious injuries. He glanced down at Ling's hands, and realized he was clutching his arm.

"I think my wrist may be broken," Ling said with a grimace.

Ed knelt on the ground next to Ling. He held out his hand, and Ling gingerly offered Ed his arm, wincing slightly at the movement. Ed took Ling's wrist and pushed his sleeve up as gently as he could, trying to ignore Ling's small, involuntary sound of pain. Sure enough, the prince's wrist was swollen and purple, bent back just enough to be unnatural. Ed hissed through his teeth.

"I think you're right," he said softly. "It looks broken to me."

"You're hurt too," Ling said, using his good arm to push Ed's bangs aside so he could get a decent look at his forehead. "It's bleeding…."

"It's nothing," Ed said quickly. He pulled back slightly, which made his head spin all the more. He bit back a groan. The constant swirling was making him feel a little nauseous, and the ground felt unsteady beneath him even though he was sitting down.

"Are you sure? It could be a concussion…."

"It can't be worse than what _Crash_ over there has been getting," Ed said, gesturing back at Havoc who was still standing stupidly by the door, now fiddling with his head bandage. He stirred slightly at the sound of his name.

"I think we should get outta here," he whined. "You guys saw the ghost? It must be close still, I think it's gonna come eat us…."

"No," Ling said, surprisingly firmly. "We are not leaving."

"What? No, you're hurt, I actually think Havoc-"

"Crash."

Ed's hands balled into fists. "I actually think _Crash_ may be right this time. It's too dangerous. Ling, your wrist is broken-"

"It's not a bad break," Ling said, but his face was drawn with pain.

"That doesn't matter!" Ed said, starting to get a little angry. "This was supposed to be a...a fun adventure, we weren't supposed to actually get hurt! This was supposed to be a _break_ from getting hurt!"

"But come on, you must have seen it? So you know it's real now, right?"

"I don't know what I saw!" Ed yelled, not wanting to be drawn into a philosophical discussion on the probability of ghosts when his head was still pounding so badly. "But that doesn't matter. We still need to leave. You need to go to a...a hospital, or something…."

"We're so close," Ling said. "We saw the ghost, we know approximately where it is, the trap is all set up…."

"Why do you even want to catch this ghost so badly?"

Abruptly, Ling looked down at his lap, where his damaged arm was still cradled. "I just think...you know, what's more immortal than a ghost? If I could actually catch one, maybe I could study it, or something…."

Ed hesitated. He understood what Ling was saying. The lengths he had gone to to get information on the Stone, the things he'd do to get his brother's body back…. He certainly wouldn't hesitate about pushing through a little fracture. Who was he to deny Ling the same opportunity?

"Okay…" Ed told him, reluctantly. "I guess I understand. But I wanna splint your arm before we go any farther. And we're not staying here more than another hour. After that I'm taking you to the doctor."

Ling smiled happily and allowed Ed to pull his wrist out straight. Ed looked around for something to splint it with, and called Havoc over.

"Hey...Crash, can you get me those two bits of wood? The ones I'm pointing at?"

Havoc obediently wandered over, and through some miracle, managed to get the wood in question. "Are you making ghost weapons?" he asked curiously. "Can I have one?"

Ed ignored him and tore off a section of his jacket to complete the splint. Ling hissed as he got the wood in place, eyes narrowing in pain. Ed wrapped the length of fabric around as quickly as he could, not wanting to cause the Xingese prince too much pain.

"Okay, it's done," Ed said cautiously. "Does it feel any better?"

"It's fine," Ling said dismissively, trying to disguise his pain. "Thank you, Ed. But before we do anything else, are you sure your head's okay?"

Ed touched his forehead gingerly. The cut was still bleeding, and he was pretty lightheaded. His eyes weren't focusing quite right, which was probably contributing to the dizziness. But this was important to Ling.

"I'm okay," Ed said, tearing off another strip from his jacket and tying it around the cut. At least he could stop the bleeding. He gave Ling a firm nod, ignoring the sudden blur in his vision, and Ling grinned.

"Now, I want to catch this ghost!" he said, getting painfully to his feet.

"How?" Ed asked, glancing up at the hole in the ceiling. As he watched, a loose floorboard lost the struggle and fell to the floor beside them.

Havoc crouched down beside Ed and peered at his impromptu bandage. "Are you trying to be Crash too? Cause you can't. Be more careful, huh?"

Ed blinked at him, unsure if he should be annoyed or touched by Havoc's roundabout worry over him. He decided that the best course of action would be to simply ignore the lieutenant.

"Ling? Got any bright ideas?"

"I...I'm not sure," he said, seeming at a loss for the first time all night. He was still cradling his arm against his chest, and his face had drained of all color. His breathing was a little uneven. Ed wondered if he should force Ling to leave the house after all, he probably needed medical care. But at the same time he knew the prince could be stubborn if he needed to be, and he had to admit, there was a part of him who was curious about the ghost….

"Should we try and go back up to the attic?" Ed said skeptically.

Ling frowned slightly. "That...I don't know, I don't think we can survive another collapse…."

"Do you guys hear that?" Havoc said from the corner.

"Hear what?" Ling said, head snapping up immediately to look at Havoc.

"There's something movin' around down there," he said, gesturing vaguely to the floor below him. "I think it might be the ghost."

Ling immediately looked over at Ed. "We should hurry, it sounds like it's down there," he said. "I think the weed has given him super hearing."

Ed narrowed his eyes a little. "Or he's just making stuff up…."

Ling cut Ed off with a quick hand gesture, and they both sat there listening in complete silence for a few moments. And Ed had to admit, he thought he could hear something. It was so faint he wasn't sure he ever would have noticed it if Havoc hadn't pointed it out to him.

"All three of us are in here," Ling said quietly. "That has to be it. That's the ghost."

Slowly, Ed got to his feet, clutching frantically at Ling when the world dipped alarmingly around him. Ling used his good arm to steady Ed until he found his balance again, and together, they made their way downstairs, Havoc trailing awkwardly behind them.

"You don't have the spell," Ed said at one point, realizing Ling had dropped his ghost repellent somewhere in the fall. He wasn't carrying anything now, just steadying his injured wrist with the good one.

"I know," he said grimly. "We'll just have to try to lure it up into the trap. There's not much else we can do."

Ed nodded, feeling a little more unsettled now that he knew there was nothing to protect them.

They crept through the house in silence, listening for any sound out of the ordinary. Every so often, Havoc would direct them to turn a certain way, and they'd slip around the corner, hoping against hope to find what they were searching for.

They stopped at the end of a passageway, Havoc listening intently for noise. Ed took advantage of the pause to close his eyes for a few seconds, giving his aching head a break. His vision was still blurry, and he had to be careful not to walk into Ling's back, or to bump into a wall. Every step seemed to make his head lurch sickly. He just wanted to find Ling's ghost and get out of here as quickly as possible.

"There's something down there," Havoc hissed, pointing down a long hallway. Ed paused. He could hear it too, now that he really paid attention to it. A strange sort of rustling, so faint it was barely there.

The three of them tiptoed forward, holding their breath as Havoc bounced softly off another wall. But he didn't make a sound, just reoriented himself and continued down the corridor.

There was a door at the end of the hallway, a thick oaken door scarred with unknown trauma. It was standing ajar, just a crack. Something stirred in the room beyond, and Ed and Ling exchanged an excited glance. This was it.

Ling reached out with his uninjured arm and pushed the door open slowly. They slipped through the opening, unsure of what they were about to find. A quick glance around the dingy parlor revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Ling stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Spirit! Come forth and show yourself!" He walked towards the center of the room, his foot nudging a pile of abandoned sofa cushions as he did so. Suddenly, there was a loud yowl, and a streak of _something_ flashed by the prince, directly at Ed and Havoc.

Havoc shrieked loudly, raising his hands in front of his face. "DON'T LET IT GET ME!" he shouted, looking beseechingly at Ed. "OW! Ed it's CLAWING ME!"

Ed snapped himself out of his shock and looked over at Havoc and his cargo.

"It's a fucking _cat_ ," he said, staring at the animal that was hanging off the lieutenant's arms and doing its best to scratch him to death.

"A cat?" asked Havoc, opening his eyes cautiously. He shook himself, yelping a little as the cat's claws disengaged and it dropped to the ground.

"A cat?" Ling said, utter dejection filling his voice.

"A cat," Ed confirmed, watching as the animal shuddered furiously and stalked haughtily out of the room. "If only Al had come along after all, he loves cats…." Ed's eyes narrowed. "Wait a second. Is that...is that what we've been following around the whole time?"

"I think so," Ling said sadly. "Looks about the same size as what we saw in the attic."

The strength seemed to go out of Ling's legs, and he sank disappointedly to the ground. Ed put a hand on the prince's shoulder. He knew that Ling had been really hoping they could catch the ghost, and he was at least somewhat sorry that it hadn't worked out.

"I guess we should head back into Central, huh?" Ed said. "I think both of us could use a doctor." He eyed Havoc, who was covered in cuts and bruises from running into objects and now had a few slender lines of cat scratches along his face and arms. "Maybe all three of us."

"Yeah," Ling said, "I think that would be for the best. I can catch a ghost some other time."

"I thought we just decided that ghosts don't exist."

"No," Ling said. "We decided that _this_ ghost doesn't exist. That doesn't mean all of them don't. I can still find one. Maybe next weekend we can try out another haunted house-"

"Ling, I-"

"Phew," Havoc interrupted suddenly from the corner. "That was pretty scary. I'm glad we all survived with our faces."

And with that, he pulled another joint out of his pocket and lit it.


End file.
